Take The Blow For Love
by spc.gclef
Summary: AU. Sakura is an ordinary girl with a great hope to have a long-time friend since she moves houses frequently. With the new house her father recently bought, she felt excited and somewhat weird at the same time. What if it has mysteries that she needs to uncover? It's normal to help someone right? But what if you had to help someone unimaginable, like a ghost? Full summary inside.
1. Overview

**Overview**

 _ **"Love prevails In Life and Death"**_

Sakura is an ordinary girl with a great hope to have a long-time friend since she moves houses frequently. Having a one-time opportunity to stay in one place permanently, she is now excited and pumped up to the core. With the new house her father recently bought, she felt excited and somewhat weird at the same time. What if it has mysteries that she needs to uncover?

It's normal to help someone right? But what if you had to help someone unimaginable, like a ghost?

A ghost with a dark past but has a lot of passion to love. Would she have her hope come true? Or get more than what she hoped instead?

"Boo!"

"Waaahhh!"

"Who are you?!"

"You're a GHOST!"

 _If you can't choose between life and death, make another option and choose eternity instead._

* * *

 **A/N:** This is a story I co-wrote with my best friend two years ago for her english project. I think it fits the Naruto characters perfectly that's why I decided to publish it here. I hope you guys like it.

 _Lots of love,_

 **G-CLEF** (09.17.15)


	2. Prologue

**Prologue**

I never thought that one can have everything in life until I met her. There is always that one person that can change you for the better. I realized that you will never be satisfied with what you have until you stop looking at what others have that you don't. I've been living a pretty good life if I say so myself. I have great parents, great friends and of course, a great girlfriend. I also have positive grades in school. What more can I ask for?

Right now, I am on my way to celebrate a year of my happiness with _her_. I'm really happy because I found the one; you know, soulmate, love of your life, kind of like that. As I near to a stop, I slowly stepped my foot on the car brake but something's wrong.

It wasn't working.

" _What? Why isn't it working?"_ I looked down to make sure that I was stepping on the brake but when I looked up. It dawned on me.

I'm about to crash.

For the last seconds of my life, I silently prayed to God that even if I don't survive, the girl beside me will.

And then I saw nothing but darkness.

* * *

 **A/N:** Please tell me what you think.

 _Lots of love,_

 **G-CLEF** (09.17.15)


	3. Chapter 1: A Normal House?

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Naruto._

* * *

CHAPTER 1 – A Normal House?

" _I'll spread my wings and I'll learn how to fly…"_

A loud music filled a car where an eighteen-year old teenager and a middle-aged man ride. The man looked at his daughter and smiled lovingly.

"Baby, can you open the windows?" He asked.

"Sure dad. But _please_ , stop calling me baby. I'm all grown up now." The teenage girl snorted as she opened the car windows.

Her name is Sakura Hatake but most people close to her calls her Saku. She is going to move to their new home along with her dad, Kakashi Hatake. Her dad works as a writer and a freelance photojournalist that disables them to stay in one place for a long time depending on the client's preference. She is just the typical girl-next-door type teenager. She has short pink hair, green eyes and average body. She's not very tall but she's not that short either. The first thing you will notice when you meet her is her smile. She has a smile that radiates positive vibes around her.

"Dad, you promised." She suddenly uttered.

"Hmm?" Her dad prompted.

"That this is the last time we are moving." She answered. Kakashi looked at his daughter for a brief moment before turning back his eyes on the road.

"I want to have friends, for long." She continued.

"I know Saku and I'm sorry." Kakashi recalled the time when his daughter would always hesitate to make friends since they're not sure if they were going to stay in that place. It created a barrier around his daughter and he's perfectly responsible for it.

"But don't worry. I've been assigned permanently by a company. I'm not a freelancer anymore." He said and smiled inwardly knowing that it will make Sakura happy. He just hopes that their constant change of address would not make his daughter socially incapable and awkward.

"Promise?"

"I promise."

Sakura smiled.

* * *

After long hours of travelling, they finally arrived to their new house. It is a village called Konohagakure located in Fire Country. Kakashi bought the house just a month ago in an auction.

"Whoa dad! This is bigger than I thought." Sakura gasped looking at the house.

The gate surrounding the house is in a circular shape. It looks a bit rusty from being abandoned for so long. The house is painted gray and some of the walls were torn. It is made of brick walls and some parts we're missing. It is mansion-sized with two floors. Looking shortly, people might say it looks old and scary but grand as it can be.

" _It's giving me a weird feeling…"_ She thought quizzically.

"Rest a bit Saku. You can go around and make friends with people later." Kakashi said after entering the house with their luggage.

"What about our things?" She asked as she held up some of her luggage.

"Don't worry about it. I'll take care of it." He assured the girl in front of him.

"Hmm, 'kay." Sakura happily agreed and started walking inside the house.

"Your room is on second floor, second room to the right!"

"Thanks dad!"

As a curious teenager, she went upstairs and looked around first. After 10 minutes, she finally arrived and found her room. She went inside and examined it.

" _Wow, this is so cool!"_ She thought as she eyed a huge window located in the middle of the room.

The window presents a nice view outside. The area is filled with many trees instead of houses and a pristine river that is free from pollution.

"Provincial life, here I come!" She exclaimed before she laid down on her bed but not before closing the window.

She slowly closed her eyes and felt sleep washing over her when suddenly, she felt cold and chills ran up to her spine. In response, she got up and looked around to find out the window is slightly open.

" _What the... I'm sure I closed it earlier."_ She thought.

"…but whatever." She shrugged it off and closed the window again. This time, she finally slept after long hours of travelling without any disturbance.

* * *

It's about three o'clock in the afternoon when she woke up. She slowly rubbed her eyes to get rid of her sleepiness and got up. Adjusting to the light, she went out of her room and went downstairs to find her dad.

"Dad?" She called.

No answer.

"Dad, where are you?" She called again, but to no avail, no answer was heard.

She went to the kitchen to find food but instead found a note pinned in the refrigerator.

 _'Saku, my boss called me and they need me right now. You can go out. Just take care of yourself, ok?'_

She took an apple and decided to go back to the room. On her way back, she noticed a room two doors before hers where the letter "H" and another "H" is hanged on the door.

" _What's that?"_ She thought. She went closer to examine it.

"It must be from the owner before. I don't really wanna intrude but heck, it's our house now. I'm just gonna look around." She told herself and slowly went inside.

The room is quite clean considering no one had lived in there for quite a long time. There's only one bed that looks quite old and plain with some dust here and there. It might be because of how long it wasn't used for the past few years.

 _ ***BANG***_

"Ahhhhhhhhh." Sakura screamed and ran outside. She clutched her chest and inhaled deeply to calm herself.

" _What the heck was that? I knew this house was weird!"_ She thought while calming herself.

She looked at the door again and saw that the two letters "H" dropped on the floor. She stared at it for a minute, unmoving. When she came back to her senses, she hanged it in the door again as if it never dropped.

" _Okay, this is creepy."_ She decided in her mind. Still, she knew she got no choice but to live with it. She doesn't want to move, _again_.

Sakura went to her room to get some clothes. After that, she went to the bathroom to clean herself before leaving. She plans to familiarize herself to her new neighborhood and she's gonna take her time for it. She knew it.

Before leaving, she also wrote a note to her dad just in case he gets home before her.

' _Dad, I'll look around the town. It's so quiet here and I couldn't stand being alone. I'll be careful. Love you!'_

After pinning the note on the refrigerator, a blinking light caught her eyes in the floor. She went closer to take a look. It was a necklace with a bright silver pendant of letter N. She picked it up and wondered what could be the meaning of the letter.

" _Weird, I saw two H earlier. And now this?"_ She shook her head in disbelief.

"What the heck is wrong with this house?" She sighed.

She put the necklace in her bag then went off.

After walking for five minutes, she realized that she doesn't know anything regarding the town and she's not any good in directions. There's only one thing she can do. She held her phone and dialed a number.

"Hello?" a voice answered.

"Dad. I'm not familiar with the area. Help me with the directions." She uttered and explained where she thinks she is.

"Walk straight to the right then you'll see an intersection road. Turn right again and continue to walk until you see a train station. It's the last station, Spring Hills. Go to the Camp Bridge Station. It's the center of the town and it's where your new school is located. Be careful. Okay?"

"Yeah, thanks dad." Sakura smiled and hung up the phone.

She may not be good in directions but she's confident enough to herself that she can go around the town by herself. After traveling by train for 30 minutes, she finally arrived at the center of the town. At the top of the entrance, there's a huge billboard where "Konohagakure – Village of the Hidden Leaves" is written. The village is big considering it is a rural place. A lot of people are in there compared to their area in Spring Hills.

"Excuse me ma'am, do you know how to get to the Konoha Academy?" She asked one of the street vendors in the area.

"It's on the fourth road on Blueberry Street." The vendor answered.

"Will I be able to go there by walk?" She asked again.

"It will take you at least fifteen minutes if you walk. If you ride on a bus, it would take you there in just five minutes."

"Thank you." She smiled and lightly bowed her head as a sign of gratitude.

She decided to walk. Looking around, the town looks so busy just like in the city where they came from, Kusagakure. She liked the atmosphere of the place.

" _It feels calm and I can actually breathe fresh air."_ She thought and inhaled deeply.

She also saw a lot of various restaurants and shops. She figured she could visit the places whenever she wants to hang out although one thing she's really worried about is a church. Sakura and her dad are Christians and since they move a lot, they have no permanent church to go to. She really hopes to find one where preachers don't preach 95% percent of their opinion and 5% of God's words.

She thought it would be really hard to adjust but the fact that they are going to actually stay in this place ruled out that thought. It made her excited and giddy. She decided to explore and get to know the town better for future references. It would suck to get lost.

" _It can't be that hard to find that school. It's already 5:30pm. Dad said it's located in the middle. So where is it?"_ Sakura looked around trying to find the school she'll be in and found a large building.

" _Whoaa!"_ She said as she slowly entered the place.

The school looks big and comfortable. There are many trees and benches on the side. _"It actually looks pretty cool. The students look good too."_ She's already a senior in high school and she's excels in class. Even with all moving around, she knows she can still socialize.

"Oops, sorry!" she suddenly heard and she definitely heard the sarcasm in the voice. She looked around to look for the voice and saw that there are three girls who seem to be ganging up on this one pretty girl.

The pretty girl just got up and was about to leave until one of the three girls spilled milk all over her. Sakura's eyes widened. _This is definitely bullying!_

"I'm sorry not sorry." The girl who spilled milk said. The other girls just laughed watching the pretty girl whimper.

Something sparked in Sakura and she couldn't stand watching the scene. She always hated bullies. She was bullied when she was a kid because of her forehead.

" _I have to do something!"_ She thought.

So she did. She went closer to the girls and spoke up.

"Excuse me. Aren't you being mean to her?" She was definitely holding it in.

"Mind your own business!" said one of the girls.

"And you don't seem to be a student here!" another girl piped in.

"Well, I'm going to be." She calmly but proudly declared.

"Don't butt in! You don't know anything!" the milk-spiller said and pushed her a little. Yeah, she named the girl milk-spiller. She's not the most creative person out there. She was about to pick a fight when another girl showed up.

"Hey! Stop it!" the girl who just arrived said.

" _She looks younger than me."_ Sakura thought.

"Oh, it's you." One of the three said.

"Ino, you know why we're doing this! We don't understand why you keep protecting her all the time after what happ –"

"It's none of your business!" She rudely cut off the other girl. After glaring at them, the three girls left.

"Are you okay?" the girl named Ino asked the pretty girl who is still on the floor. The pretty girl didn't answer. She just stood up and ran away.

"Wait! Oh geez..." Ino tried to stop her.

"Hi?" Sakura said to Ino.

"Hi!" She replied smiling very brightly to Sakura. Her tough girl image suddenly became so innocent like a cute girl.

"I'm Ino Yamanaka, you can call me Ino. By the way, I'm a freshman here and you are?" Ino asked.

"Sakura or you can call me Saku. I'm a senior. I'm new here you see." Sakura answered smiling. _"Looks like I'm making a friend!"_ she thought.

"Thanks for helping her." Ino smiled at her.

"Who is she?" She asked. Ino looked at her.

"The pretty girl, I mean." She continued.

"Uhmm… She's also a senior student here. She could be your classmate..." Ino trailed off.

"Wait! Let's have some fun now. I'll show you around school and town." She said as if remembering something.

"Lead the way." Sakura smiled as she let her new friend drag her off to who knows where.

* * *

They entered in one of the buildings located in the South of the school.

"Over here is our room." Ino declared.

"Temari!" She shouted. The girl called Temari came. She has blonde hair like Ino.

"Hi. My name is Temari Sabaku. Call me Temari." The girl said smiling.

"Mine's Sakura."

"She's my best friend. We could be like that too!" Ino said. Temari then turned to look at Ino.

"Hey Ino, I'm really sorry but I can't go to your house later. I have something to do." Temari explained.

"It's fine. Saku's here to accompany me anyway. Just do what you gotta do." Ino smiled. She then turned her attention to Sakura and grabbed her hand.

"See the guy over there on the fifth row, second seat?" Ino pointed at a guy.

"What about him?" Sakura asked curious.

"His name's Shikamaru. He's been my crush since… forever!" She exclaimed.

"He looks okay." Sakura commented.

Then they moved on and walked in the hallway.

"Do you love to sing or dance? We have this club called Light Club for singing and Y Cube for dancing." Ino suddenly asked.

"I love to dance!" Sakura answered enthusiastically. After all, that's how she releases stress, by dancing her heart out.

"Great! I'm also a member there. And the president's cool too! I will accompany you to audition once you get settled in!"

Apparently, the same day is Ino's 16th birthday. She asked Sakura to celebrate with her since Temari is no longer available.

"Well, I can't be late. Our house is quite far from town you know." Sakura reasoned.

"No problem. I could take you home. I have my own driver. Come on, please?" Ino gave her the puppy eyes. She agreed to celebrate with Ino.

They went to the mall called Central. Apparently, Ino is kind of rich and they bought a lot from shops starting from foods to clothes. Ino doesn't hold back in shopping much to Sakura's dismay. They were resting when:

"Ino, do you know any Christian church here?" Sakura asked.

"You're a Christian?" Ino smiled. She nodded.

"Well, you're lucky! My family and I are also Christian. You'd be surprised to know how many Christians are in our school!"

"Really?" Sakura is definitely happy. She can fit in.

"I'll help you with the directions. The service is every Sunday, 5pm to 8pm."

"Cool. My dad will be happy!"

"You must be hungry. Let's go to my place and have dinner. My mom said she prepared something at home. Please?"

"Ok, 'cause it's your birthday." Sakura smiled.

"But before that, nature calls." Ino went to the restroom.

While waiting, Sakura texted her dad so he won't worry.

' _Dad, I'm going to have dinner with my friend in her house. It's her birthday. You can't refuse!'_

The reply came not too soon.

' _You already have a friend? Good to know. Fine. Just be careful on your way back. Ok?'_

' _Always! Thank you dad.'_

After she sent the last text, she looked around to see if Ino's done. But what she saw made her eyes widened.

"Temari!" She called. The said girl turned around and looked at her like a busted cat.

"What are you doing here?" Temari asked looking nervous.

"No. What are _you_ doing here? I thought you're going to do something." Sakuraerena narrowed her eyes.

"I can explain!" Temari replied.

"And what is this? You're with Shikamaru?" Serena asked quite shock from what she was seeing. Sam looked directly into her eyes.

"Please don't tell her! Not on her birthday. I promise I'll explain it to you some other time. Just please…" Temari pleaded her.

"You also have Ino to explain too. But fine. Hurry, before she comes back."

"Thank you so much."

"I'm not doing this for you."

Temari nodded and went away with Shikamaru.

"Hey!"

"Ino, you're back!" Sakura exclaimed looking startled.

"Why do you look so anxious?"

"Nothing! Come on, let's go!"

* * *

They went straight to Ino's house. The house is a mansion with many maids and workers. They went straight to the dining room where Ino's parents are waiting.

"Wow, Ino. You sure are rich." Sakura commented.

"Of course." Ino agreed with confidence.

"Mom! Dad!" Steph called as she hugged both of her parents. She grabbed Sakura and introduced her to them. _"They look nice!"_

"By the way, she's my new friend. They just moved here in town."

"Good Evening, I'm Sakura Hatake."

"Hatake?" Ino's mom looked at her husband.

"Are you by any chance related to Kakashi Hatake?" Ino's dad asked.

"Yes! He's my father." Sakura replied.

"What a coincidence! He's one of our employees. He's the best writer and photographer we have in our company, the N Publishing Corporation." Steph's dad said.

"Thank you for the compliment." Sakura said.

" _So they're the ones who hired my dad. I'm so thankful because we can finally settle down."_

"Does he know you're here? We're sorry that we gave him loads of work in his first day here." Ino's mom added.

"No, it's ok Ma'am. I'm really happy to meet your daughter and it's really an honor to meet you." Sakura uttered politely.

The family dinner with Sakura was peaceful. After dinner, the two went to Ino's room and chatted a little bit.

"I can't believe it! Your dad works at our company. Isn't that great?" Ino said happily.

"Yeah. I mean… it's so great." Sakura said as she laid down in Ino's bed.

"Hey." Ino started.

"Yes?"

"They're not actually my real parents."

Sakura suddenly got up and looked at Ino.

"My parents died when I was 5 months old. It was a car accident. They took care of me since then."

"Sorry to hear that."

"It's okay. They treat me like a real daughter and they never once made me feel like I don't belong."

"That's good."

Sakura looked at her friend, her very first friend with admiration. She went through a lot and if she's willing to share her life story, that means she truly is her friend.

"Some people don't say that to people they just met you know." She teased Ino.

"I know. It's just that, I feel like I can trust you." She smiled and laid back down in the bed. But then she remembered the incident earlier at the mall. She paused for a bit wondering if what she's going to ask is okay. She decided to be frank. Ino is her first friend after all.

"Do you like him that much?" She asked Ino.

"Who? Shikamaru?" Ino asked taken aback by the sudden question.

"Yeah. Who else?" Sakura joked and Ino also laid down beside her on the bed.

"Of course. We've known each other for a long time."

"How about Temari?"

"I just met her this year. We share the same interests and hobbies. She's really nice. I don't need many friends as long as I have her and Shikamaru. And now, you too."

"Does Temari like someone?"

"Well, I don't think she has any interest in things like that. She doesn't like anyone as far as I know. Why do you ask these questions anyway?"

" _Please don't tell her! Not on her birthday. I promise I'll explain it to you some other time. Just please…" Temari pleaded her._

"Nothing. I'm just curious." Sakura said as she got up on the bed and started looking around Ino's room.

The room was simple not like she imagined. Ino's not really the princess type. She's just close to people who she really likes. She saw a couple of photographs until she landed on one particular picture.

"Who's this?" Sakura asked while holding one frame.

"That's my brother." Ino said as she recognized the frame.

"Where is he?"

"He's with God now."

"I'm so sorry."

"It's ok." Ino suddenly cried.

"I just miss him so much. He always sings me a song and bakes me a cake on my birthday. And I still miss him." She continued. Sakura just hugged Ino and let her cry.

"I shouldn't have asked you that. I'm really sorry Ino. Don't cry. I'm sure he would be sad to see you cry. Don't worry. I'll be your big sister." Sakura comforted her. Ino looked at her.

"I'm so glad I met you. He'll definitely like you too." Ino hugged Sakura tighter.

Time went by so fast for the two girls and Sakura has to go home. It's already late. Ino decided to bring Sakura home since she has a car and a driver at her disposal.

"Where do you live?" Ino asked.

"We live on Spring Hills. It's on Gem Street, Road 4."

"It's kind of familiar to me." Ino said.

They arrived at Spring Hills District and unknown to Sakura, Ino's eyes widened.

"You live here?" She asked flabbergasted.

"Yes. This is where we moved. Is there something wrong?"

"This is where she lived and… and…"

"And what? She? Who is she? Are you okay?" Sakura got worried because Ino looked pale and started to shake. _"Is she okay? What is she scared of?"_ she pondered.

"Nothing. I'll be going now." Ino hurriedly went inside the car and went off.

"What was that?" Sakura asked to herself feeling puzzled.

She rang the doorbell and went inside the house after her dad opened the gate.

"Dad." She called.

"Hmm?"

"You know my friend who I told you and where I've been? She's the daughter of your employer." Sakura stated.

"Really? Namikaze Family?" Jack exclaimed.

"Is that what their surname is? I met them earlier when Ino invited me to their home." She grinned and explained.

"Hey dad. How'd you find this house?" She asked.

"I bought this in an auction. The price was very cheap."

"Really? How come? This is a big house after all."

"From what I know, the owner has been selling this house for a long time now. I don't know why. Don't worry, if there's any problem, I'll fix it in no time."

"It's fine dad. I'm just happy that we finally got to settle down." Sakura smiled brightly at her father. She knows that everything he's doing is all for her. She loves her father very much and her father loves her just as much.

"You'll get used to living here in no time." Kakashi ruffled her daughter's pink hair.

"But you know dad, it's creepy." Sakura sheepishly said.

"Why?"

"Because you know… this house has been abandoned for so long and…" She trailed off.

"You think there's a ghost?" Kakashi asked his daughter grinning.

"DAD!" Kakashi laughed loudly.

"Don't believe in such things okay? Just pray to God and trust Him. You should sleep now. Tomorrow's your first day of school." Her dad once again ruffled her hair.

Sakura went to her room so she could finally rest. It has been a long day for her with all the things that happened. Before going to bed, she sat on her study table/desk and readied her things for school tomorrow. As she emptied her bag, she saw the necklace she found earlier, the one with the letter "N" pendant. She kept it in her drawer.

Then the light in her room started to dim. Okay. She's kind of scared. She immediately reached for her phone to call her dad.

"Dad, come here quick. The light in the room is dying!" She hurriedly said. Her dad quickly went to her room.

"Sorry baby. I forgot to change the lights. Come help me find one." Kakashi held his daughter's hand.

"Okay. But don't call me that." Sakura pouted but still followed her dad to the storage room to find a bulb. They found no spare bulb so they went to the room with the H.H. initials and found one. Her dad changed the light in her bedroom and checked to see if it was working.

"Here you go." He saw Sakura still conscious and a little scared.

"Don't be scared. It's just the light." Kakashi then left the room.

Sakura looked at the wall clock and noticed it was already about midnight. She is really scared and couldn't sleep so she went to her study table again. She rubbed her eyes and combed her hair. As she looked into the mirror, she suddenly saw a man standing in one corner of her room near the television. Because she was rubbing her eyes, she couldn't see clearly but she was 100% sure there was someone in there.

"DAD!" She covered her eyes and screamed so loud, her dad went there immediately.

"What happened again?" He asked in exasperation.

"I saw someone there!" She pointed in the corner of her room. Her dad looked there but there was nothing.

"Saku, you're just being paranoid."

"No! I really saw it. I promise." Sakura insisted.

"How about you go to my room and sleep beside me? But just this night. You're a big girl now." Her dad teased her.

* * *

Sakura woke up early. She felt so excited that she forgot what happened last night. Her dad dropped her off in school before he went to his work. Serena kissed him and waved goodbye as he left.

She carefully walked in the hallway as she went to the Guidance Counselor's office to submit her documents. She knocked and opened the door.

"Good Morning. I'm Sakura Hatake. I'm the transfer student and I'm here to submit my documents."

Ms. Shizune Katou is the Guidance Counselor of Konoha Academy. She has short black hair and black eyes. She's petite and looks pretty.

"Oh yes, welcome! Your section is 4-A and your room is on fifth floor, Building B, Room W-506." She smiled at Sakura and gave her a small paper.

"If you have any problems or questions, you're welcome in my office anytime." She continued.

" _She's so kind and friendly."_ Sakura thought as she made her way to her designated classroom.

When she finally found her classroom, Sakura waited outside for the teacher's cue.

"Good Morning class!" the teacher said. The teacher's name is Asuma Sarutobi. He looks strict but considerate.

"We have a new student here." He looked at outside. "Miss, please come in and introduce yourself."

Sakura went inside and stood up in front. She looked at the whole class. "Hi. I'm Sakura Hatake. You can call me Sakura. I'm from Kusagakure. We just moved here yesterday. Please take care of me." She bowed and smiled in front of everyone.

"Hatake? She's the daughter of the well-known photographer, Kakashi Hatake!" said one of the students seating in the front row, Tenten Chi.

"Oh sweet. She's the intruder yesterday." said one of the students, Ami and smirked. She's one of the girls yesterday bullying the pretty girl.

"So is she famous?" Kaguya asked, also one of the girls while looking at her manicure.

"Hell no! But I read about one of her father's article that her mother died giving birth to her." said Karin, the milk-spiller.

"Her mom died because of her! How unlucky." said Kaguya. The three girls laughed.

Sakura held it in. She knew none of it was true and it wouldn't do any good to her father if she got sent to the guidance on her first day.

" _I wouldn't stoop low just to get back at you."_ Sakura menacingly thought as she glared at the floor.

"Ami, Kaguya, and Karin! You want to go to the Guidance office and get detention?" Sir Asuma warned.

"Don't mind them. They're always mean. You can sit next to me." Tenten said.

"Thanks." She smiled. _"I knew there's always at least one good person in a crowd."_

"I'm Tenten by the way. I'm really a big fan of your father! I always buy his books. And he's a really good photographer. I want to have his autograph. Can I?" Tenten exclaimed.

"Sure. You can visit my home and meet him some time."

Tenten has a black hair that she always ties in two buns. She's known as the smartest student in Senior class. She loves to study and she also has a bubbly personality. She's now the president of the student council. Tenten gave Sakura one of the books of her father and asked her a favor if she could make it signed.

"Sure." Sakura agreed.

"You're late again, Sasuke Uchiha!" their teacher said angrily.

"I'm so sorry Mr. Sarutobi. I had to practice for the competition and …" he tried to explain.

"Enough! Just go to your seat." Sasuke smiled.

Sakura looked at the guy who just arrived at class. She couldn't take her eyes off him. That is how good-looking the guy is. He has jet-black hair and has the most striking face in class.

"Who's he?" she asked Tenten, staring into the guy who was late.

"His name is Sasuke Uchiha. He's the Vice president." Sakura's still staring at him as he walked towards his seat on the back.

"Hey!" said Tenten. Sakura looked startled.

"What?" She asked annoyed.

"You're smiling and are you blushing?" Tenten teased.

"What? No!" Sakura denied.

"You have a crush on him!" Tenten deducted as she silently laughed at Sakura's red face.

"Fine. Because he looks cool and handsome." Sakura stated.

"Don't get your hopes up girl. Everyone here knows he only loves one person." Tenten suddenly turned serious.

"Who?" Sakura curiously asked.

"Her." She looked at where Tenten pointed her finger and gasped.

" _She's the pretty girl from yesterday! The one being bullied by those three!"_

Sakura looked at her. She's very skinny and pale. She has a straight black hair that's up to her waist. Her eyes seem to have much loneliness and pain but she's really pretty.

" _She's so pretty. No wonder he likes her."_ She thought as Sasuke went to his sit beside that pretty girl.

"It's just a crush. Don't tell anyone." Sakura said to Tenten.

As soon as the class dismissed, she looked for Ino. She asked Tenten where the building of the freshman is. She forgot to get Ino's phone number yesterday so she wondered how her friend is doing.

"It's on Building A. Why?"

"I'm going to look for Ino Yamanaka."

"Wait. You know her?"

"I met her yesterday. She's my first friend."

"Ouch. So I'm just the second. Just kidding!" Tenten joked.

"She's popular here especially her brother." Tenten explained as they walked to the Building A to find Ino.

"Hi. I'm looking for Ino. Do you know where she is?" Sakura asked a freshman student in the hallway.

"She didn't go to school today."

"Oh. Okay. Thanks."

Sakura and Tenten were about to leave when they saw Temari.

"Let's talk privately." Temari told Sakura.

Sakura then turned to Tenten.

"Tenten, thank you for accompanying me. I'll see you tomorrow, alright?"

"Don't forget my autograph." Tenten said as she walked away.

Meanwhile, Sakura and Temari went to the cafeteria to talk.

"I like him so much. I don't know what to do. I don't want to hurt her but I really like him so much." Temari started.

"Are you guys in a relationship?" Sakura asked Temari.

"Yes. Shikamaru told me he knows how much Ino likes him. He said he couldn't say that she's just a sister to him." She answered.

"I know how much she likes him and she met him first. I'm such a bad friend and…" She continued looking like she's about to burst into tears.

" _This is a mess. Ino's going to be hurt."_

"I understand. Still, I think you should tell her as soon as possible before it gets worse. We'll tell her tomorrow. Why is she absent anyway?"

"I don't know either. She didn't call me." Sakura got Ino's number from her.

Temari's very thankful to Sakura for understanding and not judging her. It's five o'clock in the evening when Sakura got home.

* * *

"How's your first day?" asked her dad.

"It was good and fun! The guidance counselor's really nice and pretty. And oh! I have a new friend, Tenten. She's your number one fan! Here, she wants your autograph." Sakura gave the book to his dad and he signed it.

"I never knew I had a youth fan." He laughed.

"That means you're getting old dad." Sakura teased.

Sakura went straight to her room to do her assignments. Even though it's her first day, the teachers certainly didn't hold back on giving home works. She placed all her things in her bed and opened the lamp. She sat in a chair and started to do her things and stuff in her study table.

" _Oh. I have to call Ino!"_ She remembered.

She called Ino.

"Hello, who's this?" Ino asked.

"It's me, Sakura. You didn't go to school?"

"I wasn't feeling well."

"Are you going to be there tomorrow?"

"I think so. I also have something to tell you."

"Sure. Rest now and get well soon, okay?" Sakura told her before she hang up the phone.

Not too long, she fell asleep doing her assignments on the study table. Her arms are crossed using it as a pillow.

 _ ***CREEEEEK***_

The sound made Sakura stir up in her sleep. She slowly lifted her head to see what noise it was but –

"Boo!" a person across her said. That sudden word made her stumble back on her chair making her fall on her back.

"Ouch." Sakura said as she rubbed her sore back.

"Are you okay?" the person went to her.

"You think I'm ok – wait! Who are you?!" Sakura incredulously asked and pointed to the person.

The person just smiled. Her eyes widened.

"And why are you floating?!" Sakura's eyes became wider than before. The person went closer to her and smirked.

"Ahhh! You're a GHOST!"

She lost consciousness.

* * *

 **A/N:** Please let me know what you think. Message me or leave a review.

 _Lots of love,_

 **G-CLEF** (11.05.15)


	4. Chapter 2: The Encounter

**Disclaimer:** _I don't own Naruto._

* * *

CHAPTER 2 – The Encounter

" _What a weird dream!"_

Sakura thought as she walked through the hallways of their school building. When she finally found her classroom, she went to her seat looking puzzled and confused.

"Ugghh." Sakura hissed and clenched her hair in frustration.

" _I'm so confused… what happened la–"_

Her thoughts were stopped by a loud bang in her desk. She looked up.

"Where's my autograph?!" Tenten asked with her hands opened in front of Sakura.

"Oh, it's you." Sakura said and looked through her bag.

"Here you go." She handed the book which her father signed last night to Tenten.

"Thank you so much girl!" Tenten hugged the book in glee and went back to her seat.

"Did you finish our assignments? I slept so late last night working on those problems! You know Sir Asuma is known for failing students too. You shou _–_ " Tenten stopped talking when she noticed that Sakura isn't paying attention and just staring at nothing in particular.

"Hey! What got you so distracted?" Tenten lightly tapped Sakura's cheek to get her attention. Sakura blinked.

"Are you listening to me?" Tenten asked quite offended.

"Sorry. I'm just thinking about something." She answered.

"Are you worried about our assignment?"

"No."

"Then what?"

"I think I saw a… ghost?" Sakura answered and Tenten just stared at her wondering if her friend ate something bad.

"I'm not sure if it's a dream or something but ugh... I'm so confused!" She continued and hid her face in her palm. Tenten laughed.

" _What is she laughing about? This chick!"_ Sakura's eyes narrowed.

"I'm serious!" She puffed her cheeks.

"That's funny, Saku. Ghosts don't exist!" Tenten continued to laugh as she looked away.

" _Maybe it's just a weird dream after all."_ She sighed and as if remembering something, she paused and looked at Tenten again.

"Speaking of assignment, I wasn't able to finish it last night! I fell asleep halfway on doing it!" Sakura remembered and winced. _"It's because I was so pre-occupied with the ghost thing."_

"So you were listening earlier. No problem. As a token of appreciation for my precious autograph. I'll let you copy mine." Tenten handed her notebook to Sakura. Almost immediately, she started copying the answers.

Being so concentrated on copying, she didn't notice that Sir Asuma already arrived and looked at her.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Tenten called in a loud whisper.

"Wait. I'm almost done." She said not realizing what is happening.

As if on cue, the whole class except Sakura stood up and greeted the teacher.

"Good morning Sir Asuma!" the class greeted. Sakura looked up.

"Oops." She uttered when she saw the teacher looking at her.

The whole class looked at her and laughed.

"Cheater!" Ami said and continued to laugh.

"I'm so sorry Sir Asuma. I won't do it again, I promise. Please forgive me." Sakura pleaded.

"Sir, give her the punishment." Karin piped in.

"Quiet class!" Asuma commanded and everyone shut up.

"I'm sorry Ms. Hatake but rules are rules. You have to be punished." He stated.

Because of that, Sakura isn't allowed to attend class. She has to stand outside the classroom and hold a huge white board that says, "Cheating is BAD!" It's a punishment of shame by Sir Asuma. She has to hold it until class ends so many students and faculty members who pass by may see her to remind herself of the shame and not do it again.

She stood outside the classroom with her head hung low when Sasuke came and looked at her.

"Cheating is bad." He read. Sakura lifted her head and saw Sasuke looking at her.

" _No! Not now! This is so embarrassing!"_ She thought as she closed her eyes. She was thinking of ten ways to avoid embarrassing herself further when Asuma spotted Sasuke outside the classroom.

"Uchiha! This is your nth time being late! You are not allowed to go inside!"

A moment later, Sasuke stood beside her outside the classroom holding another white board that says, "NEVER be late!"

The students inside looked outside while Asuma is having a lecture.

"She's with Sasuke!" whispered Kaguya.

"How dare she –" Ami was cut off by Sir Asuma.

"Do you also want to go outside?!"

The class started listening again.

"This is so embarrassing." Sakura sighed. Sasuke looked at her and laughed lightly.

"Don't worry. You're not alone."

"Being late is better than cheating."

Sasuke stared at her for a minute. He then exchanged the white board they are holding so Sakura is now holding the late board and Sasuke is holding the cheater board. Sakura was taken aback.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Many people will see this. Do you want to be labeled as a cheater?" Sasuke offered a small smile.

"Besides I'm quite popular here. They won't mind me." He continued and then looked ahead.

"If you want to." Sakura offered a smile as well.

" _Maybe this punishment ain't so bad after all."_ She thought.

"Why are you always late?" She asked out of curiosity.

"I guess I practice too much." He answered.

"What are you practicing?"

"Dancing. It's for the upcoming annual dance competition."

"You dance?!" She excitedly asked.

"Yes. I'm actually the – "

The bell suddenly rang indicating the end of the class. Sasuke immediately went inside the room.

"Wait! I'm Sakura by… the... way…" She said but Sasuke was gone.

Sakura went inside the room to grab her bag when she saw Sasuke walk towards the pretty girl from the other day. He grabbed her bag and followed the girl as they went outside the classroom together. She sat in a chair.

"Such a nice guy." She commented but Tenten heard it.

"Yeah. But you see? He is so head over heels for that girl." Tenten said.

"What's her name?" She looked at Tenten.

"Hinata."

"Nice name."

"It's actually Hinata Hyuuga. Almost all the students here bully her."

"Why? She looks so nice and pretty. I don't think she can be that bad."

"Something happened. They also started avoiding her because of that incident. That's why as a good friend, I suggest you not get close to her okay?"

"What incident?"

"They said someone died because of her."

"Really?!" She paused. "I don't want to be the same as them though. I'm not avoiding anyone." She decided.

"Or else, they would get you too! Look, I'm telling you this because I really like you as a friend. Just consider it okay?"

Sakura nodded her head. She felt really lucky that someone already cares for her as a good friend. She shrugged off what she heard when her phone suddenly rang. It was Temari. _"Oh. I remember telling her that I'll help tell the truth to Ino!"_

She answered her phone.

"Hey. I'll meet you, text me where you are." She said and hung up the phone. She looked at Tenten.

"Sorry Tenten. It seems I can't have lunch with you today."

"It's fine. It looks important. I'll see you later." Tenten waved and left.

Sakura looked at her phone and saw that Temari already texted her where she is. She hurriedly went to the location to talk to her. She looked around Temari's classroom and noticed that Ino isn't there.

"Maybe she already knows." Temari uttered. Sakura turned to her.

"I doubt it. I called her last night and she didn't mention anything out of ordinary. Let's just visit her in her house sometime." She said. They ate their lunch in comfortable silence.

"I have to go." Temari said. Sakura nodded at her as she went away.

On Sakura's way back to the classroom, she noticed a poster pinned on the bulletin board in front of the stairs.

' _Y CUBE Dance Troupe, last call for auditions. To those who are interested, proceed to Room E-511, Building B.'_

" _I'm so joining!"_ She thought excitedly.

She loves dancing. For her, it's more than just a hobby. It's her way of releasing stress and being herself. It's been her passion to dance since she was young and she's good at it. She looked at her watch to see if there's much time left before her class starts. _"I still have 10 minutes."_ She decided to proceed to the audition room and check out the place.

When she got there, she noticed a lot of students are trying out since it's the last day of the auditions. She quickly went in line. Several minutes later, the bell rang but it's still not her turn.

" _This is my only chance though."_ So she ended up skipping her Chemistry Class.

"Next!" she heard a voice said and she realized it's her turn. She went inside to introduce herself.

"Good afternoon. I'm Sakura Hata–"

"Ms. Cheater!" she heard someone said. She looked at the person and realized it was Sasuke. Her eyes widened.

"You!" She pointed at him. Sasuke laughed.

"I'm the president of this club. I was about to tell you earlier. My name's Sasuke Uchiha by the way." He smiled.

"I know." Sakura faked a cough. "I mean, I heard." She corrected herself.

"Okay, Sakura? Show us what you got."

Loud music started to fill the room which she realized is, a small dance studio. Ne-yo's Closer played and she forgot herself. She started to dance by mind and body that she didn't realize that Sasuke went closer to her and started dancing with her. Soon, all the members of the troupe joined in.

"You're definitely in." Sasuke said.

"I already expected that." Sakura stated in between her breathing. She's very confident in her abilities.

"Join the competition with us." Sasuke told her.

"Really? I can?"

"Of course!"

She jumped from joy. _"There really is nothing better than dancing!"_ She thought. Suddenly, she remembered she have a class. She checked the time and fifteen minutes have already passed.

"We're late!" she said to Sasuke. He laughed.

"Don't worry, Ma'am Kurenai is not that strict." He explained. Sakura sighed.

"She just makes late students squat." He added and looked at her. She suddenly looked nervous.

"Don't worry. I'm just kidding." Sasuke laughed at her again and Sakura pouted.

The two of them left the studio in a hurry. They immediately went straight to the classroom.

"The inner transition elements are composed of…" Kurenai was cut off.

"Sorry we're late." They said together standing in front of the classroom.

"It's my fault." Sasuke looked at her and then to the teacher.

The three mean girls narrowed their eyes at the pair.

"Just take your seat." Kurenai stated. They went to their seat.

Tenten poked her in the shoulder and she looked at her.

"So this is the _important thing_ you have to do, huh?" Tenten teased her. She ignored Tenten.

After several hours, their class is dismissed.

"Sakura, we have practice tomorrow." Sasuke told her and she nodded her head. He then went closer to Hinata and accompanied her outside to her bicycle.

Sakura went to the restroom. Outside her cubicle, some girls are talking.

"This is what trouble means." She recognized the voice as one of the mean girls. Her eyes widened.

" _What are they planning?"_ She thought. She continued to listen.

"What if someone saw?" Karin asked Ami.

"Don't worry, I got it covered." Ami answered smirking.

"Poor Hinata." Kaguya commented and smiled. _"Hinata?"_ Sakura decided she had enough so she banged the door to her cubicle. The girls turned their eyes on her.

"What did you do?" She asked menacingly. She hates dirty tricks and those who take advantage of the weak.

"W-why do you care?" Karin stuttered. _"Damn it. Someone heard us."_

"If something happened, you're done." Sakura declared and ran outside the restroom to search for Hinata.

" _Why am I even doing this?"_ She asked herself while looking at random places.

She ran further until she reached the park and saw a crowd gathered. She came closer and passed her way through people when she saw HInata lying on the ground. Beside her is a damaged bicycle. Her leg looks injured and her face has bruises all over. Sakura approached Hinata and gently touched her face.

"Are you okay?" She asked worriedly. HInata just nodded. She looked at the crowd that gathered and saw that the three girls were also there watching the scene.

" _They must have realized how bad the result of what they did_." She observed. Suddenly, she stood up and confronted the girls.

"This is all your fault! Look at what you've done!" Sakura pointed at the girls and glared.

"How dare you accuse us!" Karin shouted and denied. The crowd gasped when the two girls beside Karin pulled Sakura's hair and started attacking her. In the back, Hinata fainted and one of the students was smart enough to call an ambulance to get her to the hospital.

* * *

"It was her idea." Karin stated in front of Shizune, the guidance counselor and pointer at her friend.

"What? You bitch, it was yours!" Kaguya faced Karin and hissed, obviously not happy that her _friend_ is betraying her. Ami just laughed.

"The three of you, be quiet. I've heard enough." Shizune commanded.

Sakura and the three girls are in the guidance office after the event in the park. Their clothes and hair are in a mess. Sakura remained quiet.

"I need your parents in here. All of you." Shizune stated.

"I'm sorry ma'am. I just wanted to–"

"Sorry dear. But I still need one of your parents or else, you're suspended."

" _Dad's gonna be disappointed in me!"_

After being caught cheating, being late and now, involved in a fight, Sakura felt bad. Soon, the parent's came, signed some papers and left. She and her dad are the only ones left in the guidance office.

"Don't worry Mr. Hatake. Your daughter is not in trouble. She just helped a friend and happened to get involved." Shizune explained to her dad.

"I know. She's… a good girl. That's my daughter." Kakashi smiled and looked at Sakura. Shizune also smiled in return.

"Thank you for taking care of my daughter. Just call… I mean text me if anything happens again." Kakashi stated and slightly winked at Shizune.

"Sure. I'll call you if something happens." Shizune replied with a smile.

" _What the heck is Dad doing?"_ Sakura thought as she watched the exchange.

They left the room after talking. She still felt bad and was about to walk away when someone touched her shoulders.

"Hey. What happened? Where is she?" It was Sasuke. He looks worried and exhausted.

"It's…She's in the hospital." She answered. Sasuke went to the hospital in a hurry leaving Sakura behind.

" _He didn't even ask if I'm okay."_ She thought as she stared at his retreating back.

Sakura proceeded to go home with her dad.

"What was that about, Dad?" She asked suspiciously.

"I should be the one asking you that." Her dad smirked.

"I have this classmate who's always being bullied and I accidentally heard that–"

"I'm not asking you about that. Who's he?"

"He?"

"The one who talked to you outside Ms. Shizune's office."

"Oh. Him."

"You look disappointed."

"He's just my classmate Dad. Don't worry about it." She reassured and smiled.

"But what was that?" she asked again. "Calling each other and stuff. You even winked at her!" she added.

"Oh no. I forgot to get her number."

"DAD!"

"What?" Kakashi laughed at her daughter expression. "She's pretty and nice. She's a Miss so she must be single." He added and grinned.

Sakura just laughed after recovering from shock. She has no problem if her dad falls in love again. She loves her mom alright, but she also loves her dad. This is the first time she saw her dad interested in someone. He is always working so hard for her, she can't even think if she can even survive without her dad.

" _Ms. Shizune is nice. I know she can take care of Daddy."_ She thought while smiling.

"Dad, I forgot to tell you something. About last nig–"

"Tell me later honey. I have to go. I left the company in a hurry so I have to go back." He dropped Sakura home.

" _I'm alone again."_ She sighed.

Sakura remembered last night's incident if it really happened. She carefully went inside. She felt so anxious that she always look around to see if there's something weird.

" _There's no such thing as ghosts! There's no such thing as ghosts! There's no such thing as ghosts! There's no such thing as ghosts! There's no such thing as ghosts! There's no such thing as ghosts!"_

She went to her room and took a shower. After that, she slept for a little while and woke up at about seven o'clock. She checked her phone and saw there's a message from her dad.

' _In case you get hungry, there's pizza in the fridge. Just heat it in the oven.'_

She went downstairs straight to the kitchen to have dinner. She got the pizza in the fridge and went to where the oven is located. She plugged the oven to the switch and turned it on. She put the pizza inside and started to heat it. Suddenly, it switched off. She pressed it on again but it won't work.

" _What is wrong with this oven? I want to eat, I'm so hungry!"_ She wondered and glared at the oven.

She turned to check the plug and surprisingly, it's unplugged. _"What?"_ She plugged it again. After a minute, it was off again. She narrowed her eyes. She slowly went to the plugging switch to check again even though she's feeling scared by the minute.

She saw a man holding the plug.

"AHHHHHH!" She screamed so loud and stumbled back.

"Hi!" the person grinned. She covered her ears.

"I must be dreaming again! Yes, this is just a dream. There's no such thing as ghosts!" She turned her head in other directions and calmed herself by breathing slowly.

She closed her eyes thinking she would wake up soon and started pinching herself.

"Ouch!" She realized she felt very much awake. She rubbed her eyes to see if she's seeing real.

"G-ghost!" She stuttered backing away.

"M-move away! Don't touch me!"

The ghost laughed.

"I won't be able to touch you anyway. I'm a ghost."

In her panic, Sakura ran to her room but to her surprise, she found the ghost sitting in her bed grinning.

"I'm going to call my dad!"

"Please no! I'm not a bad ghost. I'm serious. Trust me!" He went closer and pleaded.

Sakura looked at him and her phone as if weighing her options. Finally, she closed her phone and stared at him for a long time. She has to admit, he looks good with blonde hair and cerulean eyes. He's not how people describe as a ghost should be. There's no blood and no wound in his body. She went closer to the ghost and attempted to touch his head but her hand just went through.

"Told you, I'm a ghost." He said shrugging his shoulders.

Sakura sat beside him.

"I can't believe this." She muttered.

"Please don't tell your dad. Don't leave me alone." He pleaded once again.

"What do you want?" she asked.

"I know that you're the only one who can help me." He looked at her eyes and she can feel the sincerity from him.

"You're the only one who can see me. I tried to show myself to your dad but he couldn't see me. And I tried it to you… and here I am." He added.

"I don't understand." She muttered.

"Me either. Why am I still here? I've been here for a long time. Maybe… I still need to know something." She looked at him as his head hung low.

"I want to ask you a favor." He said looking at her again.

"Please… don't leave me here alone. Please help me."

When he uttered those words, Sakura found determination in his eyes but beyond that, she saw loneliness and pain. She smiled.

" _Guess, I'm stuck with him."_

"I'm Sakura. Nice to meet you." She offered a handshake but she realized it will just pass through. They laughed.

"Thank you for trusting me. My name is Naruto and I'll be your secret ghost friend." He smiled and winked.

* * *

The next day, while Kakashi is driving her daughter to school.

"What are you going to tell me?" he asked his daughter.

"Huh?" Sakura asked confused.

"You told me you have something to tell me yesterday."

"Oh." She smiled. "It's nothing. It's just my room feels a bit hot." She added.

"Don't worry. I'll buy you an air conditioner later."

"Thanks dad. I have to go. Bye." She said as she got off the car and waved at her dad.

"Sakura!" Her dad yelled. She turned around.

"The number, okay?" her dad winked and left.

" _My dad's growing up."_ She thought.

She knocked into the room before she went inside.

"Hi Ms. Shizune!" She greeted.

"Hi Sakura. What can I do for you?" Shizune asked.

"Can I have your number? My dad's interested." She said bluntly and Shizune laughed.

"Your dad's single huh?"

"Yeah. My mom's already dead."

"I'm sorry honey."

"It's okay. I mean, I'm already used to it. By the way, my dad calls me honey too." She smiled.

"To be honest, I also have a son from my ex-husband. We're divorced."

"I wish I could meet him sometime. I really don't mind if dad's interested in you. I mean, he's too focused on me and I can tell that you're really nice. I also want him to live his life, you know."

"You're a nice kid, Sakura."

* * *

After the conversation with Shizune, she went straight to her classroom. All her classmates looked at her and started to murmur. She went to her seat and organized her things. The three girls suddenly entered the room and gave Sakura a long glare. She ignored them.

"I know everything." Tenten told her.

"I know. I'm such a troublemaker." Sakura sighed and then looked at Hinata's chair.

"How is she?" She asked.

"She's still in the hospital. Sasuke's absent too. I'm sure he would look after her until she recovers."

" _What? But how about the competition?"_ She pondered.

Class went by as usual and because of the incident yesterday, the teachers dismissed the students early. Tenten and Sakura went straight to their respective clubs.

Sakura and the other members practiced without Sasuke.

" _Why isn't he here?"_ She looked at the space Sasuke is supposed to be at. Then she realized what she was thinking.

" _Why the heck am I disappointed? I shouldn't think like this!"_ She shook her head to clear her mind.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated. She looked at her phone and saw that there's a message from an unknown number. Wondering what it is about, she opened the message and several pictures of Temari and Shikamaru showed up. Her eyes widened.

" _It can't be!"_

Without thinking, she ran straight to the freshman building. When she looked around, she noticed that all of the students are looking at their phone. It seems that they received the same message that she just received. They had different reactions.

"What a slut."

"How dare she steal Ino's guy!"

"She should know better than to mess with her!"

When she reached Ino's classroom, she opened the door and the students looked at her. She ignored the stares and looked for Ino or Temari. She also looked for Shikamaru but he wasn't there too.

" _I hope it's not too late!"_

She tried calling Temari and Ino but there's no answer. She went to the cafeteria, the court and even the restrooms, she couldn't find them. When she went outside, she found Shikamaru sitting alone in a bench near a tree. She approached him.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I… I didn't expect this to happen." He answered. She stared at him. He looks ashamed and worried but he's not her priority right now.

"Where's Temari? Is Ino here earlier?"

Silence.

"Answer me!" She shouted. She's really worried all right. She knows this will turn into a big misunderstanding if not cleared up. She'd hate to watch a beautiful friendship crack just because of things like this.

"Temari went to Ino's house. I tried stopping her but–"

Sakura didn't need to hear anymore. She knows where to go and she better get there quick before something really happens.

"I don't want to see you!" Sakura heard when she arrived at Ino's house.

She looked at the scene before her. Temari is standing across Ino and the two are obviously in a heated argument. She saw Ino throw her phone at Temari.

"I can explain." Temari whimpered obviously in tears.

"How? How can you explain those pictures?! I knew it since my birthday! That's why I'm not going to school! I don't want to see you! I hate you! I hate you and Shikamaru!" Ino yelled louder and louder yet her tears won't stop falling.

" _Why did it come to this?"_ Sakura thought sadly.

"Ino, I…"

She decided it's time to approach them. At a closer look, she can see that Ino's eyes are red. Temari looks regretful and she's also crying. Temari saw her.

"Sakura, it's my problem. I can handle this." Temari said so she stopped coming closer. Sakura turned her attention back to Ino.

"We were about to tell you." Temari calmly explained.

"Tell what? So I could look like a fool and a total loser to you and him?!"

"No! Ino, I…"

"You knew! You knew I liked him so much! You're the only person who knew it best! You're a traitor! How can you betray me?!" Ino pushed Temari but she doesn't have enough power to throw her off so she just cried. Temari was about to touch Ino when she pushed it away.

"Go away!"

"Ino, we can explain. Please understand the situation." Sakura suddenly intervened. Ino looked at her.

"We?! You were on this too? How can you be on her side?!"

"Look, I'm no one's side." Sakura stated.

"We wanted to tell you the day after your birthday." She looked at Ino eyes.

"But you were absent. And y-yes I knew it. I saw them accidentally on the mall on your birthday when you were in the restroom. I didn't tell you because I don't want you to get hurt. Please forgive us." She added.

"So you knew?!"

"Ino…"

"Enough! Do you think me liking Shikamaru is a joke? I've told you stories about him and yet you hid this from me!"

"Ino–"

"I don't ever want to see you again!"

* * *

 **A/N:** Please let me know what you guys think. Don't worry too much about the pairings. Just enjoy the story and please review.

 _Lots of love,_

 **G-CLEF** (12.19.15)


End file.
